STHIX. .,|n 



oi'.) 



Untingme.njuly, igoy, from Mell,our„e, \',ctona, Mr. G. A. Keariland sends me the 



ollown. notes : " The (.ass Owl fS.ns .,..,.„ is very rare near Melbourne, but occasiona y 



these b.rds, nay be d.sturbed from the grass tussocks near Beverid.e. Several years a^o ^rea' 



numbers of nnce overran the Wallan District, and the Grass Owl suddenly became common 



and many were cau.lu m the rabbit traps, but as soon as the m,ce disappeared the Owl^ 



Mr. j. A. Boyd, wh.le resident at K.pple Creek, Herbert River. North-eastern (Queensland 



sent n,e the followmg notes relative to the nidihcation of Stn. ca.uUda :-'■ This O^vl nests on 



he ground, choosmg a high thick tussock of grass, forn,ing a bower in it, and laying ,ts eggs on 



the tew grass blades that have been tran,pled down. (_,n the :st June, J,, I fou^d two 



nests, each ot wh,ch contamed three young ones and one egg. I is cu ious fact a 



though th.s b,rd always lays four eggs. I never found more than three young ones o Z 



be,ng always addled A fr.end of mu^e here has also had the samee.xperience. It seems stran^^ 



that tne b,rd should lay one egg more than she is able to hatch. U'hen first I came these Owls 



were comparatuely common, but latterly they have ahnost disappeared fron. this immediate 



neighbourhood, owmg 1 thu,k to the largely ,„creased nun>ber of cattle running over the plain/' 



Two eggs taken by Mr. l^oyd are more elongated than is the rule with n>ost Owl's c^s 



and n,ay be described as th.ck ovals in form, white, the shell, w,th the exception of a few' 



Z^i^T' " '" '"r" "^'' '""^' P"-^'^"'^ ^^'""^^'^ -^^ '-'-'-- They measure :- 

 Length (A) 1-69 x i-;, mches : (B) 173 x 1-26 inches. 



